Wire-stretcher.



No., 684,475. 'Patnted oct. l5, |901. J. H. TANNER.

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(Application led Har. 25, 1901.)

2 Sheats--Sheat I.

(lo Model.)

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No. 684,475. Patented Oct. I5, |90I.

.I H TANNER WIRE STRETGHER.

(Appxieation med uur. 25, 1'901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMESHENRY TANNER, OF MINE CENTER, CANADA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICA TIGN forming part f Letters Patent No. 684,475, dated October 15, 1901. Application tiled March 25, 1901. Serial No. 52,831. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY TANNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mine Center, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful'lmprovements in Vire Stretchers, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to wire-stretchers, the object in view being to provide a portable apparatus adapted to be set up at any desired point and having means for gripping and vsimultaneously stretching a series of fencewires preparatory to securing said wires to fence-posts by means of the usual staples or fasteners. The Wire-grippers are so mounted upon the frame of the machine that they may be adjusted vertically to correspond with the heights of the diiferent line-wires of the fence and when adjusted may b e held rigidly with respect to the frame.

The invention also contemplates novel means for setting up and folding the apparatus and for bracing the wire-stretching devices proper.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

of construction and arrangement of parts, as r hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and

claimed.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire-stretcher conlplete constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, showing a series of fence-wires Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 `is a detail sectional plan view showing the manner of adjusting the front and rear braces relatively yto the head ofthe machine. Fig. 4 is au enlarged detail elevation of a portion of the draw-bar, showing one of the wire-grips. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the saine. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the gripping-jaws.

Similar numeralsof reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

The wire-stretcher contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially, a standard 1,

which is preferably tubular for the sake of lightness and which has connected to its upper end the main head 2 of the machine, the said head comprising a depending sleeve 3, which is internally threaded, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the threaded upper end of the standard 1. v The head is also provided at the top and in vertical alinement with the sleeve 3 with a second sleeve 4, which is internally threaded to receive the lower threaded end of an upright extension 5, the upper end of which is grooved and headed, as shown at 6, to receive an oblong cap-plate 7, which is thereby journaled upon the upper end of the extension 5. Said cap-plate is provided with oppositely-arrranged openings 8, which are designed to receive the bent pendentextremities 9 of a pair of stays 10, preferably in the form of rods adapted to diverge rearwardly from the cap-plate 7 and be anchored to the ground, the outer ends of the stay-rods 10 being provided with eyes or loops 11 to receive spikes or pins 12, which when driven into the ground securely hold the stay-rods and brace the standardl and the rest of the machine mounted on the standard.

The head 2 of the machine comprises a horizontally-disposed elongated nut 13, through which passes and in which operates a screwshaft 14, provided at one end with an operating crank-handle 15. The opposite end of the screw-shaft 14C is reduced to form a shank 16, which is journaled in an opening in a. vertically-extending draw-bar 17, the shank 16 receiving a nut or Washer 18, which bears against the outer side of the draw-bar, and the end of the shank 16 being headed, as shown at 19, to prevent possibility of disengagement between the screw-shaft and draw- .bar. The draw-bar is provided with a longitudinal slot extending nearly its entire length to receive and admit of the adjustment of the wire-gripping devices hereinafter described.

The opposite ends of the draw-bar 17 are prov vided With openings to receive the Shanks 2O of a pair of rearwardly-converging slotted frame-bars 21, the upper frame-bar 21 embracing the upright extension 5 and the lower frame-bar 21 embracing the standardV 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The said slotted frame-bars are provided at their rear ends IOO with threaded shanks 22, which pass through openings provided therefor in an oblong drawhead 23 andare secured thereto by means of nuts 24 or their equivalents. The draw-head 23 is arranged close to or in contact with the operating-crank 15 and between said crank and a ixed collar 25 on the screw-shaft 14, the said collar 25 serving to take the thrust of the draw-head 23 in the operation of stretching the wires, during which operation the opposite or upper and lower ends of the drawbar 17 are braced by means of the slotted frame-bars 2l.

Each of thewire-gripping devices comprises a pair of gripping-jaws 26, adapted to overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 4, and provided with oppositely-located notches 27 to receive the end of one of the wires. In order to obtain a firm grip upon the wire, the walls of the ,notch are roughened or provided with file-like surfaces 28, and the rear face of one of the jaws is also roughened in a similar manner, as shown at 29, so as to firmly engage the end of the wire which is caught between the overlapping gripping-jaws 26 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The jaws are connected by means of a pivot 30, having a screw-shank 31, which is received in the threaded opening of a vertically-adjustable nut or slide 32, which may be moved upward or downward in the slotted draw-bar 17 for the purpose of bringing the gripping device to the desired elevation. The pivot-screw 30 is also provided with a thumb-piece 33 to adapt the same to be turned by hand in adjusting the gripping device up or down on the draw-bar 17. The gripping-jaws 26 are further provided with lever extensions 34, forming handles between which is interposed a coil-spring 35, the tension of which is exerted to hold the jaws closed on the wire. The jaws may be opened or closed by grasping the lever eXtensions or handles 34 and overcoming the tension of the spring 35 for gripping or releasing the wire held thereby.

The main head 2 is provided below the nut sleeves 37 parallel to each other and adapted to receive a pair of clamping-bolts 38,v which also pass through the disk-shaped heads 39 at the upper extremities of adjustable braces 40 and 41. The bolts 38 are provided with clampingnuts 42, and the adjacent contiguous faces of the several disk-shaped heads 39 and sleeves 37 are serrated or provided with interlocking teeth 43, so that when the parts are securely clamped together there will be no chance for the braces to turn relatively to the main head of the machine. The braces comprise the upper tubular portions 44, which are internally threaded to receive the lower members, (designated by the numerals 40 and 41,) which are correspondingly threaded to screw into the parts 44. The forward braces 40 have their lower ends pointed, as shown at 45, in order to penetrate the ground, and are further provided with stop-collars 46 to limit the penetration of the points 45. The lower extremities of the rear braces are provided with holes to receive spikes 47, which are driven iutothe ground for securely auchoring the machine.

In operation the machine is set up adjacent .to one of the fence-posts at the point where the wires are to be stretched, with the drawbar 17 in alinement with the fence-posts. After adjusting the braces 40 and 41 and securing them upon the ground and'placing the stay-rods 10 in position the gripping devices are adjusted to the proper elevations to correspond with the wires to be stretched, the latter being then placed in engagement with the gripping-j aws. The screw-shaft 14, which is preferably provided with a left hand thread and which has a swivel engagement with the draw-bar 17 and draw-head 23, is then revolved by means of the operating; crank 15, which serves to draw the bar 17 away from the adjoining fence-post and simultaneously stretch all of the wires held by the gripping devices. When the wires have been sufficiently stretched, they may be secured to the fence-post by the usual fastening devices, the ends of the wires being then disengaged from the gripper, so that the machine may be moved and set up at the next place.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinabove set forth and aecordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire-stretcher,the combination withx a standard, and means for bracing the same,

of a slotted draw-bar, a screw-shaft having a' swivel engagement therewith, a draw-head,-

frame-bars connecting the draw-bar and drawf` head on opposite sides of the screw-shaft, and

Wire-gripping devices mounted on the draw; l bar. 13 with a cross.- head 36, having terminal 2. In a wirestretcher,the combination with l a standard, and means for bracing the same from the ground, of a screw-shaft connected with the standard, a draw-bar at one end of said shaft, a draw-head at the opposite end of said shaft, slotted frame-bars connecting the draw-bar and draw-head and embracing the standard, an operating crank-handle for said screw-shaft, and wire-gripping devices mounted on the draw-bar.

3. In a wire-stretcher, the combination with a standard, and means for bracing the same from the ground, of an internally-threaded head on said standard, a screw-shaft passing through said head, an operating-crank for said shaft, a draw-bar on one end of said shaft, a draw-head at the opposite end of s'aid shaft, frame-bars connecting the draw-bar and drawhead,and wiregripping devices mounted on the draw-bar.

4. In a wire-stretcher, the combination with logl IIC

a standard, of an internally-threaded head detachably mounted on said standard, an upright extension detachably connected with the head and extending upward therefrom, a capplate on said extension, stays detachably connected with said cap-plate, means for bracing the standard from the ground,

and a wire-stretching device comprising a draw-bar and a screw-shaft passing through the internally-threaded head and engaging the draw-bar for feeding the same forward or backward.

5. In a wire-stretcher, the combination with a standard, and a head mounted thereon and provided with oppositely-arranged sleeves, of

a wire-stretching device operatively mounted upon the head,and braces having disk-shaped heads adapted to be clamped against the ends of the sleeves of the head, the contiguzo ous faces of said sleeves and disk-shaped JAMES HENRY TANNER.

Witnesses:

ANNA S. JAMESON, CHAs. S. JAMEsoN; 

